CHAPTER II.

The city residence of Alric, general in command of Their Majesties' forces, was within the palace enclosure.

The house was two stories in height, the ground being used for the servants' quarters, offices, store-rooms, and the like, while the upper floor, was divided into commodious apartments and the flat top roof covered with linen awnings, forming a luxurious roof garden, where the master, his family and friends, were wont to spend their waking hours after sunset, for in Egypt the storms are so infrequent, that only once or twice in a hundred years is there any down pouring.

The structure of the house, was of burnt brick, and built in the form of a quadrangle. In the center was a court, laid out in walks that were bright with beds of flowers, and foliage plants, all glistening with the spray, thrown upon them by innumerable fountains. There too, were tanks full of brilliant colored, swiftly darting fish, and pools where the Lotus blossoms, (flower and leaf,) grew and throve casting a penetrating sweetness upon the air.

The stairway (as in all Egyptian mansions) was upon the outer side of the building, the floors were of some composite material and formed into squares of red and blue checker work, over which were laid rugs of white fur and large mats of colored camel's hair. About the rooms were scattered chairs, and divans, and tables of exquisite workmanship, the woods wonderfully polished and inlaid with gold and precious stones. And the chairs and lounges were cushioned and upholstered in rich silken stuffs.

In the dining hall stood a huge sandal wood side-board not at all unlike in its fashioning, those used in houses a century ago and on this side-board were ranged golden flagons holding choice wines and cordials, golden filigree baskets, filled with fruits and flowers, golden goblets, and loving cups, golden ewers (or finger bowls) and delicate pottery; and there too, were to be found knives, and forks, and spoons.

In this room were many little round tables covered with dainty linen cloths of purest white, beautifully embroidered about their edges in representation of roses, ferns, fruits, or berries.

The walls were hung with trophies of the chase (for the Egyptian gentlemen were great hunters--and fishermen too) and in this dining room in the city house of Alric some famous artist had painted on the ceiling allegorical figures representing Pleasure, Plenty, and Hospitality; in this room as in all the others there was a charcoal stove because during the year there are chilly days in Egypt.

Then there was the Library where on shelf after shelf, lay the papyrus and parchment scrolls holding a wealth of literature the science, history, poetry and fiction of many centuries.

Beyond the Library after passing through a stone court one came to the bath. This was a high ceilinged apartment sweet and cool and fragrant and in its centre was set a deep pool of ever running water. All along the walls of this room were closets in which every article necessary for the bath was to be found. Brushes soft and hard, rough, and smooth, towels, ungents, oils, powders, perfumes and bags of brans and spices. This was not simply a luxury as in Egypt the preservation of health made it necessary to bathe at least five times daily.

Seated at a table in his Library was the General in Chief of the Egyptian army and about him were gathered his staff.

Time had dealt kindly with Alric; his clear skin showed no wrinkling, his mouth was still firm, his lips red, his hair (worn in the fashion of his youthful days) was thick and lustrous although it showed the touch of frost here and there, but there was in the stern firm face of the general no reminder of the merry captain of the guards.

"Have you heard my lord," said one of the officers leaning forward, "that our King's new ships are exciting the admiration of all foreign nations?"

"Why should they not?" cries another. "Who ever before had ships propelled at the same time by both oars and sails! each ship requiring thirty rowers and seventy sailors to man her?"

"Is it true," asks another, "that an expedition is soon to be sent out to Punt to procure spice trees for our Botanical gardens?"

"Let us hope," adds a handsome fellow, "that the ugly old Queen will not make this an opportunity to pay us another visit! never did I behold such a human monstrosity!"

"But I have later news still," says another, taking as he speaks his cigarette from his lips and watching the smoke curl lazily up.

"Our chancellor of state has by the King's command, ordered that the supply of straw shall no longer be brought to the brick yards hereafter, the Israelites must gather their own straw when the day's stint is over."

A man with a cynical face broke in upon his neighbor's talk. "This is done," he said, "to give these strangers less time for rest, and if possible weaken their bodily force."

"It is true," said another, "that they breed like lice and that the providing of grain and other produce for the consumption of the Israelites, depletes the granaries of Mizram at least one half." "As for their appetites," said Alric smiling, "I will not gainsay that they are a hearty people, and why should they not be hungry? Surely the bread of the laboring man should be sweet, but my dear Belthazur, I can not agree to the Lord Chancellor's dictum as regards prolificness, for my wife Miriam is an Israelite, and no child has blessed our bed lo! these many years."

"I did not know, my lord," said the young officer blushing hotly, "that my Lady Miriam was an Israelite. I am from a distant Nome, and but a few years in the King's service, and so I beg you, pardon me."

"Tut, tut," said the General, smiling kindly upon the young soldier, "the Lady Miriam is an individual Israelite, and we speak of the people, so I pray you go on." "To me," said another, "it is exasperating to see how humbly, how uncomplainingly these foreigners take every new infliction; if they even murmured, there might be something interesting in it, but by the gods! they say no word and bow lower and lower in quiet humility under each burden."

"And," added another, "go on increasing more rapidly than ever."

"But," said one who had not yet spoken, "none can call them coward or weakling who ever knew an Israelite to forsake his faith, he may be bound and forced into a bodily submission, but his soul, he keeps loyal and steadfast to the service of his one God, Jehovah."

"Yes," said the cynical man, "had they been less obstinate in their religious beliefs doubtless through their women, Israel could long since have gained freedom and have been allowed to depart, for where can one find such beautiful women or such prudes? Isis should by rights turn them into cats! It would be an easy matter as their claws are already made."

A general laugh followed, and many were the mirthful questions put to the rather confused officer.

"What you say respecting the loyalty of the Israelites for their religion is true," said the General. "The Lady Miriam was a slave to the Princess Hatsu, and by her presented to me as free wife upon the royal wedding day. She hath been in all things loyal and obedient, faithful and true, but she has reared no altar in my home save to the one God, and that altar is within her heart."

"Was the Queen's mother an Israelite?" asks one. "I have heard it so said, because of the young Prince's likeness to that race."

"Nay, nay," answered Alric. "The Queen's mother came from far to the northward, where she told her husband (the King) there fell through many moons of the year a rain, that was white, and lay like a carpet of purity over the brown earth."

"There were those," says the cynical man, "when the Queen Hatsu appeared upon her balcony, an hour after the birth of her son, with the child in her arms, that did question the truth of her having given Egypt an heir, but they were foreign born and from afar, and did not know that Egyptian women resent with scorn the plaint of child-bed weakness and such dalliance, and so rise at once the pang is spent, to fulfill their housewifely ministrations."

"And, by the way," quoth another, "what ever did become of the boy, the child that the King Tothmes the first bought at the same time as he did Queen Hatsu's mother?"

"That will never be known," said Alric quietly. "It is a secret that the King buried with his own body. There is a tale (I cannot vouch for its truth) that once upon a time, in answer to this same question, one (who was doubtless demented, or addled with wine) did say that the child became in time our great High Priest Zelas, but on the morrow this man was found lying dead and no one doubts that the wrath of Osirus overtook him! but let us leave these unsolvable speculations, and return to the Israelites. I doubt the wisdom of their retention."

"Let me speak to your question most noble General." It was a new voice--the voice of the youngest son of Tothmes the first, brother to the reigning King.

"We should miss the skilled labor of the Israelites. In a thousand industrial ways they pay amply for their keep."